It is known to provide an inflatable restraint system in a vehicle to augment protection traditionally afforded vehicle occupants through the use of seat belts and other components of a friendly interior of the vehicle. In some vehicles, the inflatable restraint system may be an air bag system disposed within an interior or occupant compartment in the vehicle in close proximity to either a driver occupant or one or more passenger occupants. Typically, the air bag system includes an air bag module attached to vehicle steering system or instrument panel structures and having an air bag for deployment through an opening in a cover to extend into an occupant compartment of the vehicle. The deployed air bag restrains movement of the occupant to help protect the occupant during a collision.
It is also known to provide frontal air bags for forward protection of an occupant in a convertible type vehicle. The frontal air bag is typically provided in a vehicle steering wheel for protection of the driver occupant and another air bag is provided in the instrument panel for protection of the passenger occupant. Further, these vehicles may include a seat mounted combination torso and head side air bag. As a result, the air bag module for each air bag is self-contained and electronically connected to a diagnostic module and sensors that trigger inflation.
Although the above air bag systems have worked well for a convertible type vehicle, it is desirable to provide a frontal air bag system that also further helps to protect an occupant from striking an A-pillar of the vehicle in oblique frontal impacts on the vehicle involving near-seated occupants. It is also desirable to provide a frontal air bag system for a convertible type vehicle that is lightweight, and that reduces the need for electrical connections and components in current air bag modules. It is further desirable to provide a frontal air bag system for a convertible type vehicle to deploy a frontal air bag from an A-pillar and interface with a seat-mounted combination air bag. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide an improved frontal air bag system for a convertible type vehicle that includes a portion of an air bag that remains inflated to help protect occupants in rollover or longer duration impacts on the vehicle.